Southern Hospitality
by TaylorKathryn
Summary: After a pretty nasty divorce with whom assumed to be her high-school sweetheart, the young woman really needed to move away from her hometown in order to clear her head. So, what better way to do so than to move to the middle of nowhere Nevada?
1. Chapter 1

There is a house planted in the middle of a rural part of Webster, Nevada. This house is the color of a dandelion, with sky blue shutters, and normal, square windows. The deck that surrounded the house was a bright fire engine red. The house has three acres behind it. Woodlands take up a little over half of the large three acre land, while the one-fourth is good for planting anything an everything under the sun, and then the last quarter of the land is purely a backyard, complete with and in ground pool. There were houses about half a mile to the left and right, both having the woodland, crop sufficient soil, and pool in their backyards.

The yellow house had sat abandoned for half a decade before a young woman from the suburbs of southern Indiana bought the house, intending to move down in order to start a new life. After a pretty nasty divorce with the man she assumed to be her high-school sweetheart, the young woman really needed to move away from her hometown in order to clear her head. So, what better way to do so than to move to, nearly, the middle of nowhere Nevada? It nearly a two day drive from her hometown, no one would know who she was, and she is forced to start all over once again.

Sydney Marie Elis, a twenty-four year old accountant, bought the yellow house and is currently on the last leg of the drive from Indiana. Why drive almost two days in order to start your new life? For one, she wanted to get one last road-trip in with her precious SUV in before having to trade it in once arriving in Webster, to get the most precious belongings to the house safely, the kids (her three dogs) wouldn't last on a flight with three different lay-overs, and she is terrified of flying herself.

Pulling over for the last time before entering Addison, three towns away from her new home, Sydney parks her SUV at a rest stop and kills the engine before opening the door. Sliding from the driver's seat, Chase, a six month old Golden Retriever puppy, in her arms as she proceeds in stretching her legs before walks around and opens the trunk, allowing her two other dogs. The first out is Harper, a four year old, blue eyed Husky who was quickly followed by Jet, a two year old, black pit-bull to jump down and run to the grass. Keeping a trained eye on them, Sydney straps Chase's leash on him before walking over and setting him in the grass. Walking around the perimeter of the grass, Sydney watches her three dogs while doing some time math in her head. Figuring she is about forty-five minutes outside of Eaton, there is an hour drive through Eaton to Brown County, before she arrives in Webster. Giving her almost two and a half hours of driving around.

"Harper! Jet! Come." Sydney says firmly once she and Chase have reached the back of the SUV. The two dogs bark in response and then start a race from where they were playing in the grass to where Sydney was pouring water into a giant bowl for the three of them to drink. When Harper stands straight, Jet soon following, Sydney gets them both a treat and pats the blanket that is laid down for the dogs. Jet hops up, taking up a majority of the available space before Harper jumps in and weasels her way in. Chase barks, causing Sydney to giggle and hand him a treat as well.

Making sure the bowl is dumped out and stored back in its place, Sydney hands her dogs the another treat, kissing both of their furry heads, making sure their paws are clear of the tail gate, she shuts the door. Picking Chase up off the pavement, Sydney stretches her legs once more before opening the driver's side door and climbing behind the wheel, letting Chase lay on the blanket covering the leather covered passenger seat while he chews on his treat. Shutting the door once her legs are in, Sydney reaches over and takes the leash off him as she starts the car. The dogs start their excited barking once more as Sydney buckles up and puts the SUV into gear and backtracks so she can get herself back onto the interstate that leads her to the new place she is going to be calling home.

A few minutes later, after the dogs have calmed down, rolls the far back windows down some her larger dogs have air in the back of the SUV while she adjusts the air conditioning of herself. Cursing for not grabbing her sweats for the last part of the drive, Sydney turns the temperature down before turning the volume of her stereo up some, smiling as "Drops of Jupiter" by Train starts to play from her iPod. Chase is already asleep, curled up into a tight ball as the field of beans, corn, wheat, and soy pass by.

The decision to move to Webster came a couple months after Sydney walked in to see her ex-husband, Kyle, in best with her best friend, Tonya. The married couple spent about a month and a half in consoling, but Sydney made the decision one day at work after getting passed up a promotion she had been talking about since the position opened. Figuring that her marriage, friendship, and her career where at their final points, Sydney filed for divorce, told Tonya that she could go to hell (with a few more colorful words), and started the process of quitting. What she means by this is working through the Christmas and Valentine's season in order to get some extra money, before putting in her two weeks. The divorce was finalized after three months of Sydney and Kyle negotiating who was going to get what. Neither signed a prenuptial agreement of even thought of one. So that meant a long two months of figuring out what to split in half, arguing over who was going to keep the dogs, and getting all of the finances in order. That last month was Kyle helping Sydney find a place to live and get her a head start in the moving process, judges orders. And that is only because Sydney grew up with the guy.

Shifting in the leather seat of her SUV, Sydney sighs and runs a finger through her red hair, a smile coming to her lips as she sees the sign telling her she only has about an hour before she will be in Webster. Flipping through her iPod carefully, Sydney decided on Velvet Revolver as she settles in for the stage of the drive. Grabbing her iced coffee, she takes a couple drinks, trying to chase the sudden fatigue that captured her, Sydney reaches over to stroke the soft fur of her Golden puppy as he stirs awake, and tries to crawl over to lay in her lap. Picking up the puppy, Sydney lets him rest in her lap before she reaches back to pet Harper and Jet. Both turn and take turns in licking her hand before turning and laying their heads back down.

"I wish I could sleep for the last part of this drive." Sydney says quietly down to Chase with a smile. "You babies are going to love your new house. Plenty of space to run, probably some squirrels to chase, and there's a pool as well as a lake down in the woods" Harper barks quietly, turning her blue eyes to look at Sydney before getting up and crawling as close as she can, laying on top of a couple bags before resting her jowls on Sydney's right shoulder.

"I know how much you love the water, Harper." Sydney runs her hand over the dogs soft black and white peppered fur before giggling as she feels Jet lick her arm. He's followed his older sister and crawled to lay over some of the bags Sydney brought with her to get closer to his owner's voice. "And Jet, you love those squirrels." That earns a playful growl from the hazel eyed dog. Hearing a soft whimper, Sydney looks down from the road to see Chase looking up at her. "You're going to be mommy's littler helper. We gotta keep these two in check. But there will be plenty of swimming and birds to chase for you as well, baby." Her fingers sliding over his copper fur.

And that is how Sydney and her three babies spend the last hour of the drive. When she exits off the interstate and enters Webster, Sydney turns the music down some, in attempt to concentrate some. Stopping at a red light, she adjusts some of the bags behind her so she can roll the windows down without letting anything fall out. Giggling when Chase starts to paw at the driver's side window, Sydney wraps a hand around his small body and rolls the window down. Sensing the way everyone looks at her while she drives through the small town in order to get to her home, Sydney looks around whenever she is stopped at lights or signs.

"This is own new hometown babies." She says to the dogs before taking a leg turn on Whickery Ave, her street address. "Five more minutes." She sighs softly and heads down the street before turning off the main road and onto the dirt road that will lead her to the yellow colored house. She passes a couple of houses on the way, wondering if she will meet her neighbors. Sydney and Kyle always lived in apartments, so she never really knew what to do when you lived more than six feet away from one another. Her momma says that if they are decent enough people then they will travel to see her, just to extend a welcoming into the neighborhood. "Yeah, we'll see about a welcome party." Sydney scoffs as she pulls off the dirt road and into her new dirt driveway.

Seeing the yellow house about a quarter mile up the drive, the dogs start to bark and stand up. Sydney giggles and pulls into the yard in front of the house, parking the SUV before shutting it off. "Alright, I'm getting out." Sydney says as she gets out, setting Chase down before quickly walking around to let Harper and Jet out. "Go explore!" She exclaims and giggles as Harper and Jet take off to start playing in their new year. Chase stays next to Sydney, looking up at her and wagging his tail. "You wanna come in and see the place with me?" That earns her an excited bark in response. Grabbing her purse, Sydney starts walking towards the house, digging for her keys.

Climbing the steps, Harper and Jet run around the deck and stand besides her, ready to run and explore the inside of their new house. "I'm getting to it!" Sydney giggles as she unlocks the white, wooden, door and pushes it open. Just as she is about to step into the house, there is loud country music and the sound of a car driving down the dirt road. Looking behind her, she sees a black pick-up truck driving slowly past the house. And from what she can see, a young man behind the wheel, checking out the SUV like he was trying to get a peak at his new neighbor.

The dogs barking snaps Sydney out of her reverie. Turning to look at where they are all standing in the kitchen, looking out the back door, identical to the front one. "What? Did you not got venture in the back yard?" Sydney asks, leaving the front door open so the house can air out. Opening the living room windows as she walks through to unlock and open the back door. "There, go play some more." Instantly Harper and Jet are racing through the back yard, making sure to steer clear of the empty pool.

With a pleasant smile and a shake of her head, Sydney sets her purse down on the counter and fishes out her cell phone, dialing her mother's number. While she waits for her to pick up, Sydney walks around the kitchen to open the windows. Just as she is pushing through the swinging doors that lead to the dining room, her mother's voice sounds.

"Please tell me you made it to the house okay."

"Yeah, momma. I just got here and let the dogs out."

"Oh good. Opening the windows?"

"Yep. I'm in the dining room now. It's a lot bigger than the pictures show. But it's amazing." Sydney says as she climbs the stairs, Chase right behind her, to start opening the doors on the second floor. "I can't wait for you to get here to help me out."

"You always needed my help when it came to decor." Her mom giggles from the other line. "So, everything went okay? The drive and everything?"

"Of course. My handy GPS was on and kicking, so no problems."

"Babies behaved themselves?"

"Yes, momma." Sydney smiles and walks back down the stairs. "How's everything home?"

"By that , I know you mean Kyle."

"No-"

"Sydney Marie. You know this isn't going to help you at all. This dwelling on him and trying to make sure he's miserable. No matter how much he deserves it."

"I know... I'm still just really bitter about it." Sydney admits as she walks outside to start loading some of her things in.

"Throw yourself into the house. Focus on it, starting a life there in Nevada. Don't worry about life here, because besides me, the life here is in the past."

"This is why you just need to move out here with me. There is plenty of space in the house." Sydney goes back to an original offer she made to her mother. She knew moving out here would take her two days away from her mother.

"Sydney, this is about you. Trust me, I'm loving the empty house, having my small part time job at the retail store, and the cats." Her mom giggles. "Is any of your stuff there?"

"Nope. The movers said they would be here tomorrow around 10 in the morning. I brought the air mattress, so I'll let it fill up and just sleep in the living room for the night."

"You had this all planned out." Her mother smiles, proud of how much effort her daughter has put into this move.

"Had to be. Everything here is so new to me that it just had to be done." Sydney smiles when she sees Chase out on the front porch watching his older siblings run around the yard. "Harper, Jet! Come." She says firmly, making sure to hold the phone away from her mouth as she shouts for her dogs. "They've been out here running around since we got here."

"Get those babies some water!"

"What do you think I am doing momma?" Sydney asks as she sets the giant bowl on the pathway leading to the front of the house before pouring whatever was left of the water into it.

"Alright, well, I'll let you go so you and the babies can get settled in for the night. But be sure to call me after you eat, okay?"

"Okay, momma. Love you"

"I love you too, baby girl. Talk to you later."

"Bye, momma."

"Bye, baby." And with that the call to her mother ends.

"Ugh... Momma's worried about us." Sydney sighs as she runs her hands over Harper and Jet's fur to knock some of the dried grass off. "So glad we took care of your shots before coming out here." She says before standing and grabbing some more bags and the box holding the air mattress. "Feel free to grab a something."

"Don't mind if I do." A sudden voice sounds from behind her.

"Holy shit!" Sydney exclaims, startled enough to drop the box in her hands.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" The man who owns the voice says, quickly walking over to pick the box up.

Sydney looks up and smiles warmly at the man, who is dressed in a plain black white t-shirt, worn jeans, and brown work boots, as he now stands in front of her. "Um, thanks. And don't worry about it. I scare easily, so it's nothing new really. I guess I just didn't hear you or my dogs."

"Oh," The man chuckles and motions to where the dogs are playing, Chase running after his siblings. "They were playing when I walked up here."

"Which was?"

"You were digging around for this." The man says with a bright smile, holding up the box. "No furniture yet?"

"All of that is on it's way." Sydney adjusts the bags and sticks her right hand out. "I'm Sydney Elis."

The man takes her hand in his much, much larger one, and shakes it softly. His hazel shining as he speaks. "I'm Jared Padalecki. I live in the house across the field." He says pointing to a white house in the distance.

"How did you know I was here?" Sydney asks, a little curious as to how he knew.

"Not hard to spot a white SUV when all you're used to seeing are trucks or mini-vans. So I figured you were my new neighbor." Jared says with a chuckle, following Sydney into her house. "Um, care if I help you unload and get settled? Ma would kill me if I didn't offer."

"Um, if you don't want to, don't worry about it." Sydney says dropping the bags onto the floor, against the wall bordering the kitchen.

"I don't mind. Gives me a chance to get to know my new neighbor. Who has awesome dogs, might I add." He responds and as if on cue, all three of them saunter in to the room and right over to sniff Jared. "Harper and Jet, get over here."

"No, no! They're fine, really. I love dogs. My two are over at my place."

"Aw! You should have brought them over!"

"Well, if we get everything packed in, get your mattress set up, and your pups settled, maybe we could grab dinner together." Jared offers politely.

"I, um, would cook but I haven't even been to the store."

"I can see that the place is pretty much bare of everything but the counters, windows, and doors."

Sydney nods as they walk out to grab some more of her things. "Yeah, I was planning on doing that the day after tomorrow. Furniture comes in tomorrow, so I figured I could live off pop-tarts, lunch meat, and cheetos until then." She says with a smile, pulling a trashbag full of her clothes so Jared can get the cooler. "Lemme drop this off and then come and help-never mind." Sydney starts but is cut short when Jared pulls the cooler out of the trunk with easy. "You're pretty strong." Sydney states honestly.

Jared laughs as walks in to set the cooler on the floor in the kitchen. "I'd like to think so too." He takes the pump that Sydney is digging out of a box. "Let me."

"Thank you for helping me out." Sydney says as she walks into the kitchen, lining up the temporary bowls for her dogs, filling it with their food, and getting the bigger one for their water. "This just cut my time in half."

"So this means you and the pups can come by my place for dinner. Ma's over and is going to make me help her cook some chicken dish." He says with a shrug. "Kinda why I was sent over... To invite you to dinner."

"Please tell me I am in the right state. This whole 'southern-hospitality' vibe feels like it is something straight out of Texas."

"Well, it helps when I am from Texas." Jared chuckles and reaches up to rub the back of his neck with his hand.

"No way! I'm so sorry if I said anything-"

"Nope, Nothing offensive." Jared lets his hand fall to his side. "So, what do you say?"

"Sure! I'm sure a home cooked meal will be the high light of my meal schedule for the next few days."

"Great! I'll just go let her know, and I'll be back around 5:30 to walk you and the dogs over." Jared smiles, those hazel eyes shining once again as he walks over to the door.

"Thank you." Sydney offers him a genuine smile and walks over to stand in front of him. "I'll make you dinner one night, to repay you for helping me out."

Jared just shakes his head. "Don't worry about it, really." His smile never faltering. "So, I'll see you in a couple hours." Sydney nods and waves as he turns and walks down the front steps, patting Harper's head on his way down.

Smiling, Sydney watches the man walk across the dirt road, but stopping and turning when the black pick-up truck from earlier honks, causing all of her dogs to bark and stare out to where Jared and the young man behind the wheel are talking. "Come eat, babies." She says, turning just as Jared and his friend turn to look back up at the house.


	2. Chapter 2

The air in the yellow house is a cool, still air. But because the temperature if quickly falling, Sydney is digging through one of the bags of clothes she brought with her, in order to find a pair of sweatpants. The time is just past 9 in the evening and she is just now getting ready to fall into bed. Jared came over around 5:30 like he said he would, walking with her and her dogs across a vast field where he lived. She had a nice time talking to Jared and getting to know his mother, Sherry, who was in town for a couple of days visiting her son. Sydney's three dogs also got along well with Jared's two god, Harley and Sadie.

With Harper laying on the floor besides the air mattress, Jet laying at the foot, and Chase on his pillow besides Jet, Sydney pulls the sweats on over her sleep shorts and lays down on the mattress. Grabbing her journal from her purse, she rolls over onto her stomach and starts to relive what she did for the evening.

_"So, where are you moving from?" Jared asks as they cross the street and head into the field._

_ Sydney, keeping an eye on her dogs, sets Chase down and lets him walk besides her, hooked to his leash. "I'm from Indiana. Born and raised."_

_ "That is so different from the way people talk around here." Jared says with a some what shocked expression on his face upon hearing Sydney's response. _

_ Sydney just raises an eyebrow. "The town knew I was coming?"_

_ "When a house sits vacant for nearly six years, the town comes alive at the thought of someone new moving in." _

_ "What has everyone been saying about me?"_

_ "Probably just random rumors."_

_ "Like?"_

_ "Why are you so curious?"_

_ "Well, I want to know what I should shout from the town-hall rooftop in order to set things straight." Sydney says and starts giggling when Jared's booming laughter fills the warm air surrounding them. "What? I'm serious!"_

_ "Oh, I bet you are."_

_ "No, but honestly, I just want to know so I can give you the correct information."_

_ "Well, let me think. The first one was you were some swanky real estate agent from California coming to buy the house so you could fix it up and sell it. Then a single mother from New York moving down to start a new life with her family."_

_ "If you count my dogs as my children, which I do, then yes, I am a single mother that has moved out here in order to start a new life with my family." Sydney interrupts. "But I am not from California or New York. And I worked as an accountant in Indiana."_

_ "Oh wow, I bet that was a boring job."_

_ "You can say that again." Sydney giggles. "Is there anything else?"_

_ "One more. You went through a nasty divorce and lost everything, having to move out here to start new."_

_ "Well, almost half of that is true."_

_ "Which part?"_

_ "The nasty divorce part."_

_ "No way! You look way too young to have been married."_

_ Sydney just nods. "I'm twenty-four years old, married my high school sweetheart, who was three years older than me, two months after I graduated. Worked in the local credit union while putting myself through school and after getting an associates in accounting, they promoted me." Sydney says with a shrug, stopping since Chase has stopped a few feet behind her. _

_ "Wow, I'm sorry to hear that." Jared says honestly, stopping just in front of Sydney. "Divorce isn't a fun thing to go through."_

_ "You'd know?" _

_ "No, but my best friend, Jensen, who lives in the house next door to you, went through one while he was still in Texas. So, after the dust cleared, he moved out here. I followed soon after."_

_ "Wow, the two of you just uprooted and moved out here, why?" Sydney asks as they start walking, the house a few yards in front of them now. "If I'm prying or anything, just let me know." Her voice filling the silence that had fallen around them._

_ "No, I'm just trying to pick around my story and his." Jared says. "He and I have been best friends since high school, so when he made the decision to leave, I did as well. I didn't have anyone holding me down in Texas, so I figured moving out to the middle of nowhere with my best friend, to make sure he's okay, didn't sound like such a bad idea. But now I'm glad I did."_

_ Sydney nods and smiles. "I'm starting to like it more and more out here. The quiet, the weather, the fact that my dogs can run around without being yelled at. It's so nice."_

_ "It's called freedom." Jared says as they climb the steps to his two story, white paneled home._

_ "Oh wow, your house is gorgeous."_

_ "Thanks. After we fixed up Jensen's, he and I worked on this one."_

_ "Both houses were fixer-uppers?"_

_ "Not nearly in the shape that yours is in, but yeah, a little work needed to be done on bother houses." Jared smiles as he unlocks the dark green, wooden door and pushes it open. The barking of two dogs inside instantly starting up. _

_ "Harper! Jet! Come." Sydney calls before entering the house. She lets Chase walk in so he can sniff the two new dogs while she waits for her other two to climb the stairs. Grabbing a hold of their collars, she follows Jared in, letting him grab his two dogs as well. "Nice, babies." She says softly to her dogs after making them sit in the middle of what seems to be the living room._

_ "This is Harley." Jared says patting a brown. floppy eared, black nosed dog. "And this is Sadie." He says, ruffling the pointed ears of the German Sheppard mix. "They're both rescues." He says with pride as he kneels down in between his dogs._

_ Sydney smiles, releasing Harper's collar and slowly reaching her hand out to Harley who sniffs and licks. "Nice to meet you Harley." Sydney then repeats the motion to Sadie who sniffs and nudges her hand, asking to be pet. "And you too, Sadie." Shifting back after petting both of the dogs for a moment, Sydney pats her hand on Harper's head softly. "This is Harper. She was a birthday gift from my ex-husband. I think she was about three months old when he found her in the shelter and brought her home shortly after." _

_ Jared reaches forward to let Harper sniff him before running his hand over her fur. "I always loved Husky's."_

_ "Oh, I did too. My mom and I had one when I was growing up. His name was Leo." Sydney smiles and nudges her big black pit-bull playfully, who in turn rolls his head to give her a look before licking her cheek. "And this mean looking kid is Jet. He looks mean, but he really is the sweetest thing on the face of the earth."_

_ "Where did you get him?"_

_ "I found him outside, in and ally behind, my old friend's house. He was nothing more than a year old, so I took him in." Sydney says placing a kiss to Jet's head. Jared reaches out and rub Jet's chest which earns him and lick on the arm. "Now, for the little one who has manages to snuggle himself up against you, that is Chase. A six month old golden retriever puppy."_

_ "His back story?"_

_ "Found in him a box, buried in the bushes outside of my old work place. Kyle swore he didn't want anymore dogs, but I couldn't just leave him at a shelter, so I took him in anyways." Sydney smiles down at her little baby before letting her other two dogs go. "He thinks he is a cat."_

_ "Really now?" Jared asks, his eyes wide with amusement as he lets his dogs go as well to reach down and pet Chase. _

_ "Hence why he is snuggled so close to you. I'll wake up some morning and he'd be snuggled between my head and shoulder." Sydney stands and rubs her knees. _

_ "Let me get the dogs outside, then we'll go see my momma." Jared says with a smile before picking Chase up and handing him to Sydney. _

_ "Thanks. I'm not ready for him to go play with a big dogs yet."_

_ "I know. And it's fine." Jared smiles warmly at her before turning and wading his way around the dogs to open the back door. "I have a fence, so they won't escape." Sydney nods and watches as the four larger dogs run through the house and out the backdoor. After shutting the door and walking to stand in front of Sydney, Jared unclips the leash from Chase's collar. "Wanna meet my momma?"_

_ "We haven't even been on a date yet and I am already meeting your mother." Sydney jokes as she follows Jared through the living room and into the kitchen._

_ Jared laughs and opens the door leading into the kitchen. "Ma?"_

_ "In the pantry, son. I'll be right there." Her voice calls as the pair walk into the pale blue kitchen. _

_ "Wow, this is a huge ass kitchen." Sydney says quietly as she looks around at everything the room contains. Matching appliances, beach decor, and a huge window above the sink. "You can see the back yard."_

_ "Yeah, it's nice to be able to watch Harley and Sadie while I am cleaning up dinner."_

_ "Is she here?" Jared's mother asks shutting the pantry door behind her, still not fully into the kitchen._

_ "Yeah, Ma, she is." Jared rolls his eyes at Sydney before turning to grab the boxes his mother grabbed. "Sydney, this is my mother Sherry. Ma, this is my new neighbor, Sydney. And the cute little guy in her arms is Chase."_

_ Sherry looks around her son to eye Sydney. "Oh wow, you're gorgeous!" Her eyes widening as she walks around Jared to stand in front of Jared. "Your completion is flawless. And your eyes are a gorgeous color. Your hair, please don't get my started on that color. Is it your natural color?" _

_ Sydney feels herself blushing a deeper and deeper shade of red with every compliment Sherry hurls her way. Looking up at the woman, Sydney nods. "Yes, ma'am. This is my natural color."_

_ "It is just gorgeous!" Sherry's clean hands run over the curls before looking down at Chase in her arms. "Now isn't he just adorable!"_

_ Sydney smiles and shifts the tired puppy in her arms. "He's a cutie pie alright." _

_ "Now, you and Jared go relax and watch some television or something. I've got to get dinner finished." Sherry says before turning to her son and shooing him out of the room. Sydney followed close after._

Dinner went by fairly quickly after that. Jared, Sydney, and Sherry all sat around the table, making polite chit-chat about their lives. Jared filled Sherry in on the gossip about Sydney before allowing the red head to speak the truth about herself.

_"You were married? How old are you?" Sherry asks after taking a drink of her lemonade._

_ "I am twenty-four years old." Sydney says while wiping her hands on the napkin rested in her lap. "I married a couple months after I had graduated."_

_ "What this boy your age?"_

_ "No. Kyle is three years older than me. We met in the math club." Sydney says, a blush coming to her cheeks. "We just kinda hit it off and went from there."_

_ "So, he was a senior while you were a freshman?"_

_ "Yes ma'am."_

_ "Stop calling me ma'am. It makes me feel old. You're more than welcome to call me Sherry." The woman smiles over at Sydney. "Now, the two of you were together throughout the time you were in high school, then divorced six years later?"_

_ Sydney nods. "So total Kyle and I were together for just shy of ten years. We married on our four year anniversary."_

_ "Wow, I'm sorry to hear of the divorce. You sound like you were happy." Jared pipes up, looking over at Sydney with genuinely sad hazel eyes._

_ "I was extremely happy. I had a great paying job, Kyle was a lawyer. Our life was good."_

_ "And then?" Sherry presses, as she continues to eat._

_ "And then I caught him in the bed we shared with my best friend." Sydney says as she shifts in her seat, leaning back in the chair._

_ Sherry's eyes grow wide and she looks up at Sydney. "Oh sweetheart, I'm sure that was just heartbreaking."_

_ "It was. But it opened my eyes. Kyle had been my world so so long that I hardly had time to grow up and live my own life. So I see him sleeping with my best friend behind my back as a blessing. I've moved on with my life." With a shrug of the shoulders, Sydney dismisses anything else that can be said about the subject._

Shutting the journal, Sydney recaps her pen and sets the two items back into her purse before turning to lay on her back. Eying the ceiling, Sydney starts to think of color schemes she would like to use in the blandly painted living room. While she was running through all of the neutral colors, her mind lulled itself into a peaceful, dreamless sleep.

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The next morning, Sydney is up at 7 and shaking an iced coffee when her cell phone rings. Walking over to the kitchen counter where the phone was resting, she answers. "Hello?"

"Sydney? It's Jared."

"Oh, hey Jared. You're up early!"

"Yeah, I know. Momma wants me to go run some errands for her. So since I am heading into town and I was calling to ask if you needed anything, seeing as you're kind of stuck there."

Sydney smiles and opens up the coffee before taking a drink. "No thank you. I'm doing pretty well actually. As soon as the movers get here with my furniture-"

"Are you going to need help?"

"Well, I've got two guys where are coming to unload, but if you want to come over and help me move it around, you're more than welcome."

"Sweet! I'll see if Jensen wants to come help."

"Alright, that's fine." Sydney says, still curious about this Jensen character Jared talks about.

"So, should I keep a watch out for a moving truck?"

"Nawh. I'll call you whenever they get here."

"Okay, cool. So I'll see you soon."

"Sure!" Sydney says, walking over to unlock and open her front door. "I've gotta call the electric company to see about getting some electricity over here, so I'll talk to you later."

"Sounds good. I'll see you later."

"Bye Jared."

"Bye Sydney." And with that the call disconnects.

Thirty minutes later, Sydney is plugging in her charger so the phone can charge while she waits for the movers. Busying herself with carrying all of her clothes up to the master bedroom, Sydney starts to hang some of the clothing she knows for a fact she is keeping. Half of her wardrobe was already donated to a shelter in Indiana, but moving out here, Sydney planned on down sizing her lifestyle. She has gotten the walk in closet half filled with her old work clothes when the sound of a rumbling diesel engine sounds outside of her house. Her dogs barking in the living room alerts her as well.

Leaving her clothing bags in the closet, Sydney hurries down the stairs to meet the two movers on the front porch with a warm smile. She gives them the go ahead to start unloading everything. Turning, Sydney goes to deflate the air mattress and attempt to stuff it back into the box when the two guys are standing in the doorway with the couch she ordered before moving. Shoving everything out of the way of the far wall, Sydney motions for them to set it there.


	3. Chapter 3

"I feel like I should have painted before moving everything in here." Sydney says to Jared a few hours later. The movers and their giant truck have long since gone, leaving the two sitting on the couch, staring into the blank wall in front of them.

"No way! Jensen and I are pros when it comes to painting with furniture in the room." Jared says, tipping the beer bottle to his lips and taking a swig. "Have you decided on colors or anything?"

"Well, first thing is first, before it rains later this week, I am power washing this house and repainting it." Sydney takes a drink from her own beer bottle. "The inside of the house can come when it rains."

"Look at you being a smart do it yourselfer."

"I have done my research on this, so I think I have it under control." Sydney smiles over at Jared, seeing Harper stretched out at his feet, Jet over her own feet. Chase is curled up on his lap. "Thank you. For all this help."

"Oh, it's not a problem. You and the movers seemed to have it under control when I got here."

"If that is what you want to call it, we'll run with it."

"What do you mean?"

"Half of the stuff I ordered, I am going to have to send back because it's not matching the vision I had in my head when I ordered it."

"Well, work your vision around those items."

"It's not that simple."

"Why not?"

"I can't decorate this house... My mom always helps me."

"I can help you the best I can" Jared offers and finishes off his beer.

"Well, when my mom gets into a town in a couple days, you are more than welcome to help us out." Sydney smiles and hands Jared her half empty bottle. "Here, I'm not much of a beer drinker."

"Oh, had I known, I would have brought something else!" Jared says, taking the bottle.

"No, no. Please don't worry about it. I'm an occasion drinker." Sydney pauses before giggling. "Well, besides the glass of wine before bed, I am an occasion drinker."

"A glass of wine a night keeps the doctor away." Jared jokes and sips the beer.

"Well, it's true. My mom swears by it." Sydney says then laughs with Jared's booming laughter. "I'm serious."

"I bet you are." Jared smiles down at Sydney as his hand runs over's Chase's soft fur. "So, plans for tomorrow?"

"I am thinking about running to the hardware store and looking into some pain that will hide the dandelion yellow that is covering my house."

"Well, that sounds like a plan."

"Wanna join me?"

"I would, but I work tomorrow." Jared pouts before running his fingers through his hair. "Jensen's at the hardware store tomorrow, so I'll tell him to be on the look out for the chick wanting to cover the yellow."

"Really? That would be awesome! Thanks."

"It's not a problem."

"Speaking of work, where do you work?" Sydney asks, watching Jared set Chase on her lap before reaching down to pet her larger dogs.

"I run the general store my mom opened in town. She has one in Texas but felt the need to open on here so she knows I am keeping myself busy."

"Oh wow, that's awesome. So you're like, big boss man?"

"Pretty much. Manager. Boss man... It's all the same." Jared says as he stands up, grabbing his empty beer bottle. "So, that means I should get going. Up and early to take Ma to the airport then head over to the store."

Sydney nods and stands, setting Chase down on the ground. "Okay. Tell your momma I said thank you for the dinner and being such a huge help these past couple of days."

"She lives by southern hospitality, so it's no big deal to her. But I will be sure to tell her you said so." Jared walks with Sydney to her front door and opening it. "Have a good night, Sydney."

"Careful getting home, Jared."

"I will." He smiles and steps out onto the front porch.

Sydney nods and smiles back at Jared. "I'll talk to you tomorrow?"

"Sure! Maybe I can take you out to dinner. Just to show you around. It's not a date or anything, I swear." Jared hurries, trying to get his intentions out.

Sydney shrugs and runs her fingers through her hair. "Sure, why not? I've only seen the town while passing through."

"Great! So, I'll call you when I get home tomorrow and we can go from there."

"Sounds good. Have a good night, Jared."

"You two, Sydney." He smiles and waves before turning and heading down the stairs.

Watching as the black pick-up truck drives down the dirt road, meeting Jared as he gets to the side of the road. Peaking around Jared, trying to get a glance of the guy behind the wheel, Sydney sighs when she realizes her new friend is the size of tree. Smiling to herself, she shakes her head and steps back, shutting and locking the door.

"Time to get ready for bed, my babies!" Sydney exclaims, shutting the over head light off and turning the porch light on before turning to look down at her dogs. "Brand new bed! Come on!" She takes off running through the house and up the stairs, the sound of the dogs following close behind. Harper beats her up the stairs, followed by Jet while Chase is half way up the stairs. Sitting on the stop stair, Sydney smiles and opens her arms. "C'mere baby." Chase barks and quickly climbs the remaining stairs, wanting to get into his owner's arms. When Sydney secures Chase into her arms, she stands and walks into the bedroom where Harper and Jet are already sitting on the bed.

Sydney walks to the bed and sets Chase down in the middle. "Mommy's going to take a shower before bed, so the three of you get comfortable and I'll be back soon." Her voice quiet to her three dogs as she pets them. "Behave." She says firmly before turning to walk to her dresser, getting out clean sleep clothes on her way to the master bathroom.

After a warm shower, Sydney is dried off and pulling her clothes on. She returns to her bedroom, toothbrush in her mouth to shut the windows and to pull the covers down. Walking back into the bathroom, she finishes her nightly routine before shutting the light off and walking over to the bed. Climbing in around Jet, Sydney snuggles under the warm down comforter and cotton sheets.

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As she walks across the parking lot and into the hardware store, Sydney moves her sunglasses from her face to the top of her head. Looking around, she turns to her right and heads down the nearest isle, hoping to start finding some of the things on her list. Grabbing an abandoned cart, Sydney walks to the back of the store where she sees bright colors of paint. Opening the list, she rests it on top of her purse, parking her cart in front of the paint.

"Hey there, how can I help you?" A velvet soft voice asks after Sydney has been standing in front of the color selection for a few seconds. Turning to look at where the voice came from, Sydney's breath stops in her throat. The man standing to her left has short, dark, dirty blonde hair. His eyes are a bright green. Sydney's eyes move lower to his plump, pale pink lips before they move over his broad shoulders. Another thing she notices that he stands a few inches shorter than Jared.

Remembering how to breathe, Sydney shifts on her feet, and shuffles the paper in front of her. "I, um – I'm looking for white paint strong enough to cover yellow siding."

The answer to his question causes the man in front of her to fall silent, and Sydney can see the recognition float over this face. "Oh, you're-"

"Sydney."

"Yeah. Jared told me to look after you whenever you came in." He says before stepping forward and extending a hand. "I'm Jensen Ackles."

Sydney takes his hand, loving the roughness of the callouses on his tanned skin rubbing against the smooth, pale, texture of her own hand. "Sydney Elis." She offers him a soft smile, meeting his green eyes with her own. "Nice to finally put a face with the man Jared talks about."

"I could say the same for you." Jensen says, smiling back at Sydney before taking his hand from hers. "Minus the fact that you aren't a man."

"I knew what you meant." Sydney shifts and rubs her hands over the denim of her shorts. "So, do you think you have anything strong enough to cover the dandelion yellow covering the siding of my house and the red of my deck?"

Jensen nods, stepping forward and flipping the paint display to show siding coverings. "The dove white is the brightest and strongest paint we have. Plus, Jared and I tried it out on the house one night." He offers, pulling the sheet from the display and holding it out to Sydney.

"That's what the spot besides the backdoor came from!" Sydney giggles and takes the sheet and pretending to examine it. If Jensen says it will work, then she is going to trust him. "How much do you think I'll need to cover the house?"

"Well, we have five gallon buckets full of this stuff, if you go with those instead of the single gallons, maybe three or four of them. To cover it completely and correctly."

"I'll need five of the five gallon buckets then." Sydney says, handing him the sheet and crossing the words _siding/deck paint_ of off the list.

Jensen takes the sheet and puts it back before reaching down to grab a notepad out from under the paint display, writing down Sydney's name on the top of the paper, then writing down the paint order. "Anything else?"

Looking down at the list Sydney nods before turning the display as Jensen had done before. She points out the colors she is going to need for the inside of her house. "I guess just a five gallon bucket of each."

"The shudders on the house, were you wanting to repaint them as well?" Jensen asks after jotting down the numbers for the colors Sydney pointed out, the the amount she needed.

"I kind wanted to keep them the sky blue color, but Jared talked me into painting them black."

Jensen chuckles and jots down something on his notepad. "Alright, and you'll probably just need a couple gallons of that."

Sydney looks down at her paper, smiling as most of the items are now crossed off. "Most of everything on here was paint related and it's all crossed off."

"What else did you need?" Jensen asks, holding his hand out for the paper.

Placing the list in his hand, Sydney shifts on her feet once more, watching his eyes as they scan the yellow piece of paper in his strong hands. "Follow me." He says before turning and walking down an isle. She smiles slightly, watching him write down what she needed and how much before walking a little further down the isle to where the brackets and curtain rods are located. "Do you know the style you want?"

Walking to stand besides Jensen, Sydney almost forgets what she is supposed to be doing. Being that close to the man, Sydney can feel the heat come off his sun darkened skin, smell the spice of his cologne and the mint from his gum. Making a point to crack the piece of gum in her mouth to make herself focus, Sydney pictures the rooms and points out what she wants for each. After writing everything down, Jensen crosses them off her list and handing the paper back to her.

"You now have a completed list." He smiles and steps back some.

Sydney smiles back and folds the yellow paper up into fourths and slides into one of her back pockets. "Thanks for all your help."

"Oh, it's no problem. I'm going to get suckered into helping install these items, so I might as well know what I am dealing with."

"Yeah, Jared mentioned regaling you in to help. But if you don't want to-"

"Sydney, I don't mind. It's what I do." He says with a wink that makes Sydney's heart nearly jump out of her chest. But all she can do is nod and look down at her painted toes to hide her blush. "Do you need any of this today?"

Sydney shakes her head and looks up at Jensen. "No, but if it's not too much to ask, or too short of notice, I kinda wanna get the house and deck painted before it rains this weekend."

Jensen chuckles. "No worries. Jared and I already have plans to power wash it tonight and then start painting in the morning tomorrow."

"I'll be sure to start dinner when I get back and have breakfast waiting when the two of you get to the house."

"There is no need, really."

"I insist."

"Plus, I thought you and Jared were going out to dinner tonight."

Sydney nods and runs her fingers through her hair. "Yeah. And he mentioned inviting you and one more of his friends."

Jensen rips the top paper out of the notebook before stuffing it into his jean pocket. "Yep. So after dinner, we're swinging back by here to grab the power washer and then going to your place."

"Okay, that sounds good."

"I'll ring all of this up tonight then bring you a total to dinner so you can pay when we stop by here after."

Sydney nods and turns to the cart when her phone starts to ring. "That's my mom." She says, grabbing the phone. "It was nice to finally meet you, Jensen."

"You as well, Sydney. See you tonight." He smiles and offers her a small wave before turning and walking away from her.

"Mom, you are not going to believe what just happened." Sydney gushes as she watches Jensen walk away, loving the way his legs bow at the knees.

"What?" Her mom's voice going a higher pitch with curiosity.

"I just met the real life Adonis. This man is the definition of beautiful."

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"No, there is no freaking way you are getting me up there!" Sydney laughs, leaning back in her chair where she is seated between Jared and Jensen.

"Go ride the bull!" Jared urges before standing up and picking Sydney up playfully.

"No!" She reaches for Jensen, whom she has been shamelessly flirting with all night. "Help me!"

"Jared, dude, we'll work her into it another night. For now, we just enjoy." Jensen takes her arms in his hands and helps her back into her seat.

"I owe you my life."

"No, you owe me coffee in the morning." Jensen chuckles before resting his right arm across the back of Sydney's chair, beer in his left hand. It ended up being just Jared, Jensen, and Sydney at the bar that night. Jared's other friend had to work.

"Deal. Maybe, I'll make you pancakes and eggs."

"Don't forget the bacon!" Jared says excitedly.

"I won't forget the bacon. Aw, damn! No breakfast... I still don't have a stove." Sydney pouts which causes the guys to laugh. Sydney rolls her eyes and nudges Jared's side gently. "So, besides this amazing bar, what else is there in this town?"

"Let's show her town square." Jared offers, shooting up and out of his chair.

Jensen chuckles and stands up as Sydney does. "Sounds good to me." He shrugs his leather jacket back on before putting a couple bills on the table to pay for the beers. Sydney goes to dig through her purse for her wallet, but Jensen gently circles her wrist with his fingers. "Nope. I got it covered."

Sydney smiles and squeezes Jensen's hand before turning and following Jared out of the bar, Jensen's hand on the small of her back reminds her that he's still there. As if her hair standing on end didn't do that enough already. Ever since standing besides him in the hardware store, Sydney has been feeling this electricity passing between her and Jensen whenever they were close enough to one another.

"So, city girl, how are you liking the country?" Jared asks as the three walk down the sidewalk, the click of Sydney's heels reverberating off the brick building they pass by.

"I am really starting to like it. The babies just love it and of course the freedom, as you called it, could be the best part."

"Not having to worry about anyone but yourself and the pups."

"Yeah, it's really, really nice not having to worry for a change."

"Poor Jensen, he's standing there trying to piece together what's going on." Jared jokes, nodding to his left where Jensen is walking on the other side of Sydney.

"Hey, I am just listening to the two of you talk." Jensen replies, pulling his hands from his pockets to hold up in front of him.

"And having no idea what it's about." Jared chuckles, stuffing his hands in the pockets of his jacket.

Sydney smiles, feeling like the safest girl in town with the two men on either side of her. Sliding her hands into the pockets of her own jacket, Sydney turns to look at Jensen. "Since you don't know my story, I'm going to tell you."

"Sydney, ignore him. You don't have to tell me anything until you're ready." Jensen says with a smile that reassures that he is speaking the truth.

Sydney just shrugs. "I'm sure you've heard the town people talking about me." Jensen nods his head but stays silent. "I'm twenty-four, from Southern Indiana, moved out here with my three dogs after I caught my ex-husband in bed with my ex-best friend. I'm here to start a new life for myself."

Jensen nods his head, chewing on a piece of mint gum he put in his mouth before Sydney started talking. The three stay silent for a few moments as they enter the town center. "I'm sorry to hear about what happened between your ex and your friend." Jensen offers, rubbing his hand over Sydney's back.

Sydney had been looking up at the cherry blossom trees but the second Jensen touched her back, she turns to look at him and smile warmly. "Don't worry about it, really. It's his loss as much as it's hers."

Jensen smiles and takes his hand from her back. Sydney follows Jared around the circle path they have surrounding a brass bust of the town's founder. He wraps an arm around her shoulder and pulls her close. Sydney leaves her arms crossed over her chest before giggling as Jared trips over his own feet.

"Shush! It's not fun being this tall."

"Now I feel like a midget. Thanks!"

"Perfect size! Not midget."

"Perfect for what? Another midget?"

Jared stays silent but nods towards where Jensen is standing talking to a guy Sydney saw in the hardware store. "For Jensen. After meeting you, he called me and just gushed about how gorgeous you are." Sydney's face instantly flushes causing her to look down at the pavement. "You're going to be good for him, I know it."

"What's wrong with him?"

"Well, nothing is wrong, but he'll have to explain. None of it is my place to explain." Jared says with a shrug before guiding Sydney to stand with Jensen as the man walks away.

"So, who's ready to start power washing a house?" Jensen asks before covering his mouth to hide a yawn.

Sydney turns her head and covers her own mouth as she yawns making the guys laugh. "What? They're contagious."

"That they are."

Jared rolls his eyes. "I say we just power wash in the morning. We're all beat and we'll need light in order to properly clean the house."

Jensen nods in agreement. "Alright. Sydney, think you can drop by the store in the morning to pay?"

"Yeah, I'll pick up breakfast."

"You and trying to feed us." Jensen says with a smile.

"Hey, I love food so she can feed me as much as she wishes." Jared says with a smile. "Plus, she knows we won't take her money."

"Oh yes you will. If I paid you in food for all of the work the two of you are about to do for me, I would be feeding you for the rest of my life."

"How about, because you are helping us out, we let you off the hook." Jensen offers as they start walking to the Walmart parking lot where they all parked their cars.

"How so?" Sydney and Jared both ask in unison.

"You cook for us every Thursday night. Jared and I are both off work, and that will give you piece of mind for helping."

Sydney acts as if she needs to think it over before shrugging. "Sounds like a plan."

Silence fills the air around the three, and Sydney feels the hairs on her right arm standing up when Jensen shifts a little closer to her. "So, you want to meet me here in the morning?"

"Sure. We can ride back in your truck and when we come to bring the washer back-"

"I'll drop you off at your car. Genius plan." Jensen finishes with a smile.

"Look at the two of you finishing each other's sentences already! Who smells young love? I do!"

Sydney blushes, looking back down at the pavement and she hears Jensen chuckle before the two guys open the doors of their truck. "So I'll see the two of you chuckle-heads tomorrow?" Sydney asks, unlocking her SUV.

"Bright and early. With coffee."

"Store opens at 6, so we can meet here around then, okay?"

"So early!"

"People want to get their work done before it gets hot."

"Not us though. We get to play in water!" Jared laughs, hugging Sydney with one arm before climbing into his truck. "I have to get home to let the kids out. So I'll see the two of you in the morning."

"I'll probably be gone by the time you get to the house so the door will be unlocked and the coffee will be ready. You helped me put my groceries away so you know where everything is." Sydney says, opening the door of her SUV.

"Good plan, Sydney!" Jared smiles and starts his truck. "See y'all."

"Bye, Jared!" Sydney waves.

"Catch ya later, dude." Jensen reaches in to start his own truck.

Jared waves and with that he is pulling out of the parking lot and heading towards his house. Sydney starts her SUV and looks over at Jensen. "Tonight was fun."

Jensen nods. "Yeah it was. We'll have to make it a regular thing."

"I agree." Sydney says, looking around as the lights in the store windows go out. "Meet you at the store around 6?"

Jensen nods and walks over to hold the driver's side door open for Sydney. "Yes, ma'am." He smiles and shuts it once Sydney is safe behind the wheel. "Bring me coffee?"

"Of course." She smiles and puts her purse in the passenger seat.

"Okay. Drive safe. And I'll know if you don't because I'll be right behind you."

Sydney nods and puts the car into gear, keeping her foot on the break. "You too, Jensen." She smiles and watches as he waves slightly before stepping back and walking to his own truck. Once the door is shut, Sydney takes her foot off the break and starts towards her home for the evening. Looking into her rear view mirror, a soft smile comes to her lips when she sees that Jensen isn't far behind her.


	4. Chapter 4

Locking her SUV, Sydney walks into the hardware store, setting a thermos of coffee down on the counter in front of Jensen. "Coffee as promised." She smiles and pulls her check book out of the front pocket of her sweatshirt. "So, what do I owe you?"

Jensen smiles and pulls up her order form, entering everything in and giving her a total. Sydney can sense him watching her as she fills out the check and then signs it. Looking up, their green eyes lock and they both share a smile. Holding the check out for Jensen to take, Sydney shifts on her feet. Their fingers touch as Jensen reaches forward to take the check from her.

"Let me ring this up and we'll get going. Okay?" Jensen says as he starts running her check through the system.

"Alright. Did you get the washer?"

"In the bed of my truck already." He smiles and hands her the receipt. He then proceed to hop over the counter, landing besides Sydney. The hair on her arms standing on end once again, she steps back, grabbing the thermos for him. "Let's go." He says softly, waving to a guy standing in the back of the store before placing his hand on the small of Sydney's back, guiding her out the door after pushing it open for her.

"Between you and Jared, I am going to be spoiled and not want to open my own doors, pull out my own chair, or be able to walk down stairs." Sydney smiles, looking over her shoulder at Jensen as they walk past her SUV and head for his truck.

"It's how I was raised." He says with a smile before walking around to open the passenger door for Sydney. He then extends a hand to help her up into the cab.

"Thank you." Sydney says through the open window. He just smiles as he turns to walk around the truck. She ends up watching him walk around the bed of the truck to make sure the washer is secured. A smile on her lips, she puts the thermos into the cup holder closer to Jensen's side of the truck before buckling herself up.

The driver's side opens just as Sydney is sending a text to her mom. "Fancy phone you've got there."

Sydney looks down at her iPhone, blushing softy. "It's the one thing I refused to give up when I moved out here."

"Who said you'd have to give it up just to live in a small town like Webster?"

"No one said it. I just didn't want to be too flashy."

"The snake-skin patterned phone case gives the flashy vibe." Jensen says, pulling his own iPhone out of his back pocket before climbing behind the wheel.

Sydney giggles and puts her phone back into her pocket. "Yeah, I know. I just like the way it looks." Jensen smiles, starting the truck then reaching for the thermos. "I didn't know how you liked it, so I just put how I'd drink it."

Jensen chuckles and opens it, taking a drink. He sets it sit before making a face. "Damn, that is nearly black."

Sydney nods. "I just add a couple sugar packets and some honey. That's it."

Jensen nods, taking another drink. "It grows on ya, that's for sure." He smiles before setting it back in the cup holder. "Thank you."

"No problem." She smiles at him.

"So, should we get Jared breakfast?"

"Well, if we're stopping to get some, it's only fair." Sydney shrugs, settling back into the passenger side of the bench seat.

The two fall silent for a few moments, country music playing softly in the background. Sydney turns her head and looks out the window as Jensen takes the back roads. "I hope McDonalds is okay for breakfast."

"Webster has one of those?" Sydney asks, adjusting the beaning on the top of her head as she looks over at Jensen.

"No, but the next town is twenty minutes from our houses, so we're going there."

"Need me to ask Jared what he wants?"

"He gets the same thing every time we get breakfast there, so I know what he wants." Jensen smiles over at her before making a turn onto main street. "Welcome to Union Country, Nevada."

"Hot damn... This place is like the size of Foster."

"Foster?"

"The city I am from."

"Yeah, this is the biggest city for almost an hours drive."

"Wow." Sydney looks around, smiling when she sees some of the shops that she had in Foster. The silence is broken when she hears Jensen humming softly to the song playing on the radio.

"What?"

"Humming to Before He Cheats, huh?"

Jensen laughs, shaking his head before reaching up to turn the radio up. "Should be your theme song." Sydney's heart stills, her face falls, and she sits back trying not to let her emotions ruin the moment. "Oh, Sydney, I'm sorry." He says before shutting the radio off. "My mouth works before my mind does sometime." He reaches over to place a warm hand on her forearm.

Sydney just nods, looking out the passenger side window with full intent of staying silent. She focuses on the feelings running through her body from Jensen's touch instead of thinking about what he said moments before. Jensen sighs softly, removing his, Sydney sighing at the loss of contact but that is all they say before pulling up to the drive thru window.

"What do you want?" Jensen asks softly, looking over at Sydney.

"I'm okay." She says, her voice quiet, still not turning to look at him.

"You have to eat something." He says to her before turning to order for him and Jared. "If you don't tell me, I'll be forced to order everything on the menu. There has to be something there you'll eat."

Sydney giggles softly and looks over at Jensen. "Number four, with cheese and a large Dr. Pepper."

Jensen smiles and turns to repeat the order. He pulls forward some to take his place in line. "I really am sorry for what I said earlier."

"I know you are, Jensen. And it's okay." She rolls her head to look over at him. "It just hits me harder at more times than others." And with a shrug over her shoulders, she turns to look out the window once more.

Jensen reaches over and places his hand on her forearm as he steers up to the window, only removing his hand when he reaches out to take the food and drinks. Sydney grabs the thermos and holds it so Jensen can set the drinks in the cup holder. Sydney reaches for a drink, letting Jensen set the food in between them. He thanks the girl at the window before driving away and starting the drive back towards Sydney's home.

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Sydney laughs, nearly falling over as Jared quickly switches off the power washer, leaving Jensen up on the ladder. "Food!"

"Really, dude? Seriously!"

"Sorry, man. She has food." Jared rushes back over to hold the ladder so Jensen can climb down.

Jensen just laughs as his feet it the ground, walking over to where Sydney is standing, out of the way of the water, holding sandwiches. "Yeah, I can see that." He climbs the stairs and takes one of the sandwiches.

"I'll bring the lemonade and chips out here in a second." Sydney says as she hands Jared his sandwich before turning to walk back into the house, grabbing the bowl of chips and the pitcher of lemonade. Balancing three cups in her arms, she heads outside.

"Whoa, we would have come to help!" Jensen exclaims, jumping up to take the pitcher of lemonade as Jared grabs the chips.

"And get the inside of my house all dirty? I think not." Sydney smiles and sits between Jared and Jensen. She hands them both a glass before taking the pitcher from Jensen to fill their glasses.

"Aren't you going to eat?" Jared asks before popping a chip into his mouth.

"I already ate."

"Without us?"

"I had a salad, so I figured the two of you wouldn't care."

"I like salad." Jensen says before taking a bite of his sandwich.

"He does." Jared nods before sipping his lemonade. "He's a healthy eater."

"I'll bring you a salad next time." Sydney nods, smiling over at Jensen before turning to look at Jared once more. "And you, the 'I'll eat anything' maybe I should just bake you a cake next time."

"I do love cake." Jared smiles and watches the dogs as they stand leashed up in the yard, watching the three in front of them. "Have you fed them yet?"

Sydney shakes her head. "Not yet. I wanted to wait until you two took a break. If their food gets wet, they won't eat it." Setting her glass on the step in front of her, Sydney pushes herself up and walks back into the house. She comes back out a couple seconds later with three doggie bowls of food. "Stay sitting, guy. I can handle it." She smiles seeing Jared and Jensen about to rise to help her. Walking down the stairs between them, Sydney giggles as all of her dogs stand up and wag their tails. Harper barking happily. "Lunch time my babies." She smiles, squatting down to place their bowls in front of them. They attack the bowls as if Sydney doesn't feed them regularly. "Enjoy." She pats them all on the head before turning and walking back to the steps where she sits back down.

"I have more sandwiches in the house if you want them." Sydney says, adjusting her sunglasses on her face.

"Well, I'll be back." Jared smiles, heaving himself up and walking into the house.

"I thought you didn't want us to get the inside of your house dirty." Jensen says, looking over at Sydney. "He's the one who has been standing in the mud."

"Ugh, I forgot." Turning to look into the house. "Jared! Don't get my floors dirty!"

"Um, too late?" Jared asks as he stops in the doorway to look behind him. "I'll clean it up."

"No way! You have a house to power wash. I'll clean it up."

"You sure?" Jared asks, moving to sit back down.

Sydney nods, "I've been bored, so this gives me something to do."

"You could come help us."

"How?" Jensen shrugs, finishing his lemonade. Sydney smiles and stands up once more, noticing her dogs have finished their food. "I'm going to clean up the kitchen, clean the floors, and then come out to help with whatever you need." She says, coming to stand at the bottom of the stairs, looking at Jared and Jensen. "Sound good."

"Good plan." Jared smiles and stacks the glasses in the empty pitcher.

"I'll even make more lemonade."

"Who taught you how to that?" Jared asks, standing up.

"My momma." Sydney smiles and takes the pitcher from Jared, turning to take the half empty bowl of chips from Jensen.

"It was delicious!" Jared calls into the house after Sydney.

"Thanks!" Sydney giggles as she unloads the dirty dishes into the sink, dumping the chips back into the bag before clipping it shut. As she is closing the cabinet where she stores her chips, the sound of the power washer kicks on. Looking outside, she sees Jensen holding the bottom of the ladder, looking up at Jared.

Her phone rings as Sydney is setting her dog food bowls back in their spots. Straightening up, she looks over seeing the call is from her mom. Answering it, Sydney, goes to the staircase leading upstairs where some of the sound is blocked.

"Hey momma!"

"Please tell me I am at the right house."

"Bright yellow?"

"Yes. And two gorgeous men with a power washer."

Sydney squeals, hangs the phone up, runs through the living room, being sure to toss the phone to the couch before running outside and straight into her mother's arms. "Mommy!"

"Hey baby girl." Her mother wraps her arms around her daughter. "I missed you baby, girl."

"I missed you too, mommy." Sydney pulls back and notices the sound of the power washer is off once again. Turning to smile over her shoulder at the guys, she waves them over. "Come here!" Her dogs bark and wag their tails, seeing their grandmother. Jared climbs off the ladder and walks with Jensen towards where Sydney and her mother are standing. When the two men are standing besides Sydney, she reaches out and places a hand on Jared's tanned bicep. "Momma, this is Jared Padalecki. He lives in the house across the field over there." Sydney motions in the direction of his home before pulling her hand off his arm and walking over to put her hand on Jensen's tones back. "And this is Jensen Ackles. Jared's best friend, and my handyman. Guys, this is my mother, Kristy."

"Your handyman, huh?" Jensen chuckles, looking down at Sydney.

"Um, yeah. You and Jared got this entire house power washed in like three hours."

Jared smiles and extends his hand towards Sydney's mother. "It's nice to meet the woman who raised such a wonderful daughter."

Kristy's eyes light up, taking Jared's hand in hers. "Thank you for that compliment." She smiles and shakes his hand. "It's to put a face with the man Sydney's been telling me about for the past few days. A very handsome face at that." Jared chuckles and drops his hand by his side once Kristy releases it.

"Thank you."

"Oh, honey, it's not a problem." She pats his side before turning to Jensen. "And you. The man she met in the hardware store."

Jensen nods and takes Kristy's extended hand. "That would be me."

"Thank you for helping her pick colors out. I was scheduled to come out yesterday, but it was canceled. Poor Sydney was freaking out when I called her the night before. She's not the best at making decisions when it comes to decorating a home."

"Oh, it wasn't a problem. Sydney here must have talked to Jared because she was positive about what she wanted and how much she would need."

"Yep. Blame Jared for that one, mommy." Sydney nods, turning to look at Jared.  
>"Hey, you're the one who wanted to get all of this started before it starts raining."<p>

Sydney just shrugs before walking about her mother to grab her bags. Jared reaching out to take them from her. Jensen as extended his elbow to escort Kristy to the house. "Syd, I like these boys. They are the definition of southern hospitality."

"Oh, trust me mommy, I know."

"She told me on the ride to Union County this morning that she felt spoiled."

"Well, I don't get the option opening any of my doors or pulling my chairs out whenever you pr Jared are around."

"Sydney, do no complain. These two gentleman will be the high light of your life." Kristy says, stopping to pet the three dogs who have been patiently waiting to see her. "How are Nana's babies doing? Looks like your mommy has been taking very good care of you." Harper barks and licks Kristy's hand in response. Jet and Chase following suit.

Jared smiles down at Sydney as the four of them head into the house. "I like your mom."

"Thanks. She's pretty awesome."

"So, have you talked to Jensen?"

"About?"

"The two of you obviously are into one another."

"Jared, I just got divorced. I think I want to just be single and/or date around for a while. Settling down once again isn't very high up on my list." Sydney says, climbing the stairs.

"Sydney, what the hell happened to the carpet?"

"Well, I was going to clean it, but you showed up and I got distracted."

"It's not her fault. I walked in to get another sandwich." Jared says, setting Kristy's bags down on the floor.

"He offered to clean it up, but since I claimed I was bored, I said I would do it." Sydney smiles as she pours her mother a glass of cranberry juice.

"Well, it was very sweet of you to offer, Jared." Kristy smiles and pats his cheek before sitting down on the couch. "So, daughter of mine, what are your plans?"

Walking over to hand the juice over, Sydney perches herself on the edge of the couch, facing her mother. "I don't know, really. These guys just have the deck to power wash, so while they did that, I was going to order Chinese."

"Normally, I would scold you for not feeding them a home-cooked meal. But since I know you and your plans for grocery shopping tomorrow, I will let it slide."

Jensen smiles and walks over to stand besides Sydney. She only knows this because of the goosebumps that form on her arms. Tilting her head up as his hand comes to rest between her shoulder blades. "Jared and I are going to go finish this deck up before it gets dark."

Sydney nods and smiles up at him. "Okay. I'll be ordering the take-out here in a few minutes."

"You do know that you'll have to drive to pick it up right?"

"You're the one who told me Union Country delivered all the way out here." Sydney pokes Jensen's thigh, smiling as she sees the creases surrounding his eyes deepen as his smile widens. "So don't even lie to me about having to get out. Let alone to drive to a town that I only passed through on way to McDonald's."

Jensen chuckles and holds his hands up in defense. "I was just testing to make sure you were paying attention when I mentioned that."

"I was unpacking my kitchen items. Not much multitasking talent needed there."

"Do not doubt this one in her listening skills." Kristy speaks up after watching her daughter and Jensen volley back and forth.

"Psychology was going to be my major before I withdrew from the University, momma."

"You were going to go back for another degree?" Jared asks, sitting on the edge of the coffee table.

Sydney nods. "Yeah, I was. But everything with Kyle happened, so I just told the school that I would have to return at a different time."

"Wow! That's awesome." Jared smiles.

"Have you thought about online?" Jensen asks, sitting on the arm of the couch behind Sydney.

"Yeah. I've thought about it. But until I get this house funished, school is on the back burner."

"Have you thought about a job?" Kristy asks. "You can only live off your money from Kyle for a few months."

"Those few months will allow me to get this house finished and get a job. So I'm not really worrying about it. Plus, Jared said I can work at the general store."

Jared nods and stands up." She is more than welcome to come work there with me. I need someone to crunch numbers for me anyways." He smiles and winks at Sydney before looking at Jensen. "Come on, Jensen. We've got work to finish."

Turning to look up at Jensen, who is looking down at Sydney, she smiles softly. "You gotta be half way through with the deck before I order."

Jensen chuckles and ruffles her hair before walking out of the house behind Jared. When the sound of the power washer turns on, Kristy turns to look over at her daughter. "What in the world is going on with the two of you?"

Sydney just rolls her eyes in response. "Nothing." With that she stands up and digs for carpet cleaning supplies.

"Sydney Marie. You may be able to lie to those boys and yourself, but you will never be able to lie to me." Kristy says before leaning back to drink her juice, falling silent.


	5. Chapter 5

The sun is in at it's highest point in the sky, meaning it is high noon in Webster, Nevada. There are two men in the middle of nowhere, painting a red deck white. Inside of that, now white, house, a mother and daughter are working on cleaning the interior so that when they go to paint the following morning, nothing will stall their plans. The mother and daughter are currently in the second room of the day. The living room. They have the front and back door wide open, windows raised, and the radio blasting Bon Jovi. The daughter giggles as she and her mother dance around washing the walls, floor boards, and vacuuming the carpet.

When the daughter spins in the middle of the pretty much empty room, she turns to face the doorway, the two men standing out on the porch. The young woman blushes before crossing the space to turn the radio down. Her mother stands up, looking over at her daughter about to ask why she shut the music off but she then sees the men in the doorway.

"Come to join us?" Kristy asks, a smile playing on her lips.

"Nope. Just watching." Jared says with a smile, crossing his arms over his broad chest.

"Actually, we were going to go into town to pick up lunch. Anything you two dancing queens want?" Jensen asks, looking between Kristy and her daughter.

"Where are you going?" The daughter asks, shifting on her feet waving the feather duster out the open window.

Jared shrugs. "Jensen wants Subway."

"Syd, the usual?" Kristy asks, looking over at her daughter.

Sydney smiles, walking into the kitchen to write down what she and her mother usually get from the sub-shop. Setting the pen down on the clean counter top, she turns on her heel and comes face to face with Jensen. She hands him the paper while their green eyes meet and lock for a few seconds. It isn't until Jared fakes a cough that they break away from their stare, looking over to where the other two stand.

"Ready to go?" Jared asks with a smile on his lips.

"Yeah." Jensen says holding up the piece of paper Sydney gave him, walking from the kitchen into the living room. "We'll be back in a bit." His eyes finding Sydney's once more before walking out of the house.

"Oh!" Jared's voice comes from the front lawn. "The back of the deck is done. So after eating, we're splitting up to get the sides before finishing the front tonight."

Sydney smiles and nods. "Thanks, guys!" She waves at them and watches them climb into the cab of Jensen's pick-up truck. She stands there in the doorway until they start driving down the dirt road that will lead them into town.

"I just witnessed an amazing moment between you and Jensen." Kristy says as she wipes down the wall she was currently washing. "I have to say-"

"No you don't." Sydney says going back to the wall she was working on, loving the way the dirt, dust, and grime are peeling off of the flawless white paint. "There isn't anything for you to say."

"Sydney Marie. Like I said a couple of days ago-"

"You can lie to the boys and to yourself, but I see how you truly feel. Yeah, momma, I know." Sydney sighs. "I just don't want to talk about it."

"You don't have to talk about it. Jared did."

"What? When?"

"When you and Jensen went to go get the pizzas."

"What did you two talk about?" Sydney asks, dropping her sponge into the pale of water sitting in the window sill besides her.

"He just told me that he had tried to get you to talk about your feelings, but your excuse was that you just got out of a divorce and how marriage was the last thing on your mind."

"Because it's true."

"Sweetheart, your marriage ended with Kyle years before the divorce and you know it." Kristy points out, looking over at her daughter. "I know you don't like thinking that way, but it's true. I think this Jensen boy will be good for you. All you have to do is let it happen."

"I'm scare mom."

"Nothing to be scared of." She smiles and winks at her daughter before turning her attention back to the wall in front of her. "So, what do you feel for him?"

"Everything. From the little we've talked, he seems like the sweetest man I have ever met. His heart is pure, even after his divorce. He's open to falling in love again and that has to be the best part. I don't know the details of the divorce, but I do know it was just as nasty as mine."

"What happened?" Kristy asks, looking over at her daughter.

"I just said I don't know the details." Sydney giggles before tossing the pail of water out the window, making sure to put enough force behind the toss so none of the water gets on the deck. "But that's besides the point. I'm just, he makes me feel happy whenever he's around. The hair on my arms stand straight, I get goosebumps whenever he's near me. When his hands rest on my back or my arms, I'm warm and light headed, but the second he takes his hand away, I feel the coldness of the absence and I crave the feeling again."

"You're in love." Kristy says softly, her eyes wide as she watched her daughter talk about her neighbor.

"No. I'm not in love." Sydney shakes her head and carries the pail outside so it can dry while they eat.

"Then what do you call it?" Kristy pours the water from her pail in the front yard.

"I don't know. A crush, I guess." Sydney shrugs and sits on the front steps. The warmth of the sun on her tanned skin reminding her of the warmth she feels when Jensen is near her.

"Pretty hardcore for a crush." Kristy smiles, following her daughter. "What about when he sits so close that the two of you are practically connected at the hip?"

"I have to remind myself to breathe and focus on his words. Not how fuzzy he's made my head, or how warm my body is."

"You're in love." Her mother repeats, watching as the black pick-up truck turns from the dirt road into her daughter's drive-way. "Ask him on a date."

"No. He's from Texas and hates that kind of stuff."

"How do you know?"

"Jared was talking about it and Jensen says he'd much rather ask the girl out. Because if she asks him on a date, she'd be picking him up and paying for everything. Making it all backwards for him." Sydney says, waving at her friends, who wave back. "So he just prefers to make the first move. And I have long since decided that I was going to let him do just that."

"Do what? Make the first move?"

"Yep. And I know my answer when that happens too."

"And that is?"

"If you know me so well, you'd know." Sydney smiles at her mom before pushing herself up to stand.

"Daughter, you drive me crazy." Kristy calls out, standing to walk inside.

"What did you do?" Jared asks, chuckling softly as he gets out of the truck, motioning for her to sit back down.

"Answered her questions." Sydney shrugs, sitting back down.

"Not all of them!" Kristy calls out from where she is standing in the kitchen.

"Well, the answer to that question is yes!" Sydney replies, turning to face the house. "Happy?"

"Very much so!" Kristy smiles as she walks out with four glasses and a pitcher full of cherry-limeade.

"What where you two talking about?" Jensen asks, walking over to sit besides Sydney, the left side of his body pasted against her right side.

Sydney shakes her head. "Usual mother-daughter things."

"We were talking about our feelings." Kristy smiles, handing him two glasses of the sparkling juice.

"Ew! Thank you for saving that for when Jared and I were away." He smiles before turning to hand Sydney the second glass.

Smiling, Sydney takes the drink and sets it in front of her, handing Jensen his sandwich before taking her own. She stays silent while she eats, listening to Jared and Jensen joke around. Her mother joining in occasionally. Afternoons like this were always Sydney's favorite. Making memories with her new friends and her best friend. The man she is in love with sitting to her right, so close that their thighs, hips, and elbows are practically glued together. Even on a warm afternoon, she can't complain of the heat she feels passing between her skin.

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"Jensen, I'm going to start loading everything!" Jared calls into the house from the front deck.

"Alright! Just leave my paint can!" Jensen responds from where he is standing in the kitchen with Sydney.

"Sure thing." Jared says before falling silent.

In fact, Sydney and Jensen stay quiet for a few minutes while they clean up the meal she and her mother prepared. When the last pan is placed in the drain-rack, Sydney dries her hands. Jensen smiles and finishes off his beer before tossing it into the trash can behind him.

"So, I was thinking..." He starts but trails off, running his hand over the back of his neck.

"I sure hope you didn't strain yourself in doing so." Sydney jokes, putting the left-overs into the fridge.

"You're so funny." Jensen fake glares at her before smiling. "No, but seriously." He pauses, waiting for her to throw a witty comment back to him. When she stays silent, he continues. "What are you doing Friday night?"

"Um, watching paint dry?" She smiles, a fluttery feeling starting up in her stomach.

"Well, instead of watching paint dry, how would you like to come to Union County with me?" Jensen asks, his green eyes, looking up to meet Sydney's.

"What would we be doing there that is more fun than watching paint dry?"

"Getting dinner and watching a movie." Sydney smiles widely, looking down at her bare feet knowing her face has started to heat up. "So, what do you say? Dinner and movie in Union better than watching paint dry?"

Sydney nods, looking up once she feels her face cooling down. "Dinner and a movie sounds so much better than watching paint dry."

Jensen's smile takes up almost the entire lower half of his face. The creases surrounding his eyes showing up then deepening as the smile widens more. "Great! So, can I pick you up around 5?"

Sydney nods, resisting the urge to reach out and gently caress the smile lines surrounding Jensen's gorgeous green eyes. "5 sounds perfect. Just, please, if we're seeing a movie, nothing scary."

"You don't like scary movies?" Jensen asks, learning something new about the young woman in front of her.

Sydney nods and shivers. "I scare so easily... And I live along in a big house... Not something I wish to mix together."

"Okay. So nothing scary. Got it. Are you allergic to anything?"

"Oranges."

"Really? That's random." Jensen chuckles, leaning against the island behind him.

"I know, but it's true."

"Wow. I'll be sure to remember that." He smiles, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I still drink orange juice though." She giggles seeing Jensen's eyes widen some. "I'm not the kind of allergic where my throat swells or anything like that. I just get itch bumps on my hands. Nothing serious."

Jensen nods, shifting on his feet some. Sydney smiles as she watches him slide back into his shell before they both start laughing as Jared honks the trucks horn. This causes Jensen to look up at Sydney and smile. "I guess that is my sign to leave." Jensen says before stepping forward and wrapping his arms around Sydney.

The smile that forms on Sydney's lips feels like it takes up the entire lower half of her face. Her arms wrap around Jensen's waist while his strong arms are secured around her. Neither of them let go for quite a while. The only thing that brings them back is the sound of the truck horn honking once again. The two pull away from one another and Jensen smiles down at Sydney. "I'll see you Friday then."

Sydney nods and follows Jensen to the door. "Yeah. I forget that the two of you won't be here bright and early anymore."

"I know, it's weird considering I will be going back to the store instead of here." Jensen says as he walks down the porch, finishing the deck paint job as he leaves.

"Who am I going to cook for now?"

"Me." Kristy says, coming up behind Sydney.

Sydney just rolls her eyes and smiles at her mother. "Pay back for all of the nights you cooked for me?"

"You know it." Kristy smiles before tossing and envelope to Jensen. "You split that with Jared, you here?"

Jensen raises an eyebrow and opens it. "Kristy, I can't take this."

"You can and you will. I don't want to hear any refusal."

Jensen sighs and pockets the envelope. "Thank you. That was very kind of you, considering we refused to let Sydney pay us."

"I am not Sydney. So you're getting paid for the work you have done here."

"Once again, thank you." Jensen smiles, walking backwards to the truck. "So I'll see you ladies Friday night?"

"Why?" Kristy asks, obviously confused. "I thought your work was done."

"He asked me out on a date." Sydney smiles back to her mother then squeals as Kristy wraps her arms around her daughter. "Dear lord, mother!"

Sydney can hear Jensen and Jared's laughter from where they are in the truck. "Bye Sydney and Kristy!" They both yell, waving towards the house.

"Bye guys!" Sydney and her mother wave back before Sydney is dragged into the house.

"Sydney Marie, you give me ever detail."

"Detail of what?"

"When he asked you on a date!"

"Oh that?" Sydney plays modest as she walks into the kitchen to grab a bottle of water.

"Yes that! Child, if you do not tell me what happened-"

"No need to threaten me, mother. All he did was ask me what I was doing Friday. When I said 'watching paint dry' he asked me out. Nothing more to it."

"Aw, young love. It must be the season."

Sydney giggles and rubs her mom's back as she walks to the stairs. "Sure it is, momma." She leans in and kisses her mother's cheek. "I'm going to go to bed now. We'll be up bright and early to start painting. So I will see you in the morning. Love you."

"Love you too, sweetheart. See you in the morning, deary."


End file.
